You Can Win In Sales Even In The Slow Season

You can win in sales even in the slow season. There are two times each year when my clients start to freak out. July and December.

July is torturous for business-to-business sales. December is similar. People are focused on other things. It’s impossible to get an appointment with a decision-maker, forget about getting people together to make a presentation.  Industry conventions wrap up the month before and then start-up again a month later.

So what is an entrepreneur, sales executive, or business leader supposed to do?

These slow periods are the perfect time to reset your business, focus on your skills, and revive your enthusiasm. Here are three ways to do all of those things:

Invest a few minutes each day discovering new ways to grow your business.  Reading is great. There are a host of professional development books out there and it’s easy to get something valuable from each of them. These days video is a terrific option for developing new skills.  I recently released a six-part series on business lead generation.  You can find a link to it below.

New YouTube Series: How to Generate Leads with No Cold Calls

This six video series is one of the best FREE educational opportunities I’ve ever offered to people in my community. Each video is about 15 minutes long and, in total, this is 90 minutes of business growth gold.  Be sure and watch with a pad and pen so you can take notes.

Reset your goals: You probably set goals (even if they are loosely organized) once each year. This is the time to review them and write down some new ones. You have my permission to tear up your old goals if they no longer work for you. Give yourself the opportunity to make a fresh start.

Take time off and revive your enthusiasm: This is the perfect time to go on vacation. You can’t get a client on the phone. Vendors are providing spotty service because they are all away on vacation. Your staff is focused on other things. Close the office for a week or two and take time away from your business. You’ll find that when you return you’ll be fired up and ready to take on the world.

Don’t freak out if your new leads are slow during this time of year. That’s normal.  If things don’t start to pick up by mid-August (or mid-January if you’re reading this in December) you should be concerned. If that’s the case, give me a call.